Access via Facebook and Google logins to be scrapped

Yahoo is to gradually withdraw users’ ability to access its SaaS services using their Facebook or Google credentials.

In order to carry on using any of the company’s cloud-based services - including Yahoo Mail and Flickr - people will need to sign up for a Yahoo ID, assuming they do not already have one.

Currently, the changeover is only affecting Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick’Em – a fantasy US College Basketball game – that saw the ability to log in via Facebook or Google taken away on Monday.

A Yahoo spokesperson told Cloud Pro the new regime “will allow [Yahoo] to offer the best personalised experience to everyone.”

The spokesperson indicated access to all Yahoo services would eventually have to be through a Yahoo ID, but declined to indicate what timescale the organisation was working to. There was also no indication as to whether or not users will lose their saved data in the switch.

Yahoo originally started allowing users to sign into services using Facebook and Google IDs back in 2010 and 2011, respectively, under the direction of its previous CEO, Carol Bartz.

Current chief Marisa Mayer, a former Google executive, has been trying to reinvigorate the Yahoo brand since taking over in 2012.